Garment bag having an extensible top support



y 4, 1953 J. J. MINTZ El'AL 2,645,541

' GARMENT BAG HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE TOP SUPPORT Filed Feb. 19, 1949 2Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. M005 ./T M/A/rz July 14, 1953 J. J. MINTZ :ETALGARMENT BAG HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE TOP SUPPORT Filed Feb. 19, 1949 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1953 GARMENT BAG HAVING AN EXTENSIBLETOP SUPPORT Jacob J. Mintz, Somerville, and Frederick L. Muller,Westfield, N. J., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Klear-VuCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationFebruary 19, 1949, Serial No. 77,364

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a garment bag construction and inparticular to one in which the bag is provided with a frame on whichgarments may be hung, which frame is extendible from the bag tofacilitate access thereto.

Garment bags are in wide use of the type comprising an internal framesupporting a flexible outer covering. The frame supports, andparticularly the top supports, generally comprise a skeletonic wireframe including a corrugated cross-bar from which garments may be hung,the frame having hooks extending upwardly therefrom through the garmentbag outer covering to permit the entire bag and the garments containedtherein to be hung from a support rod of the type normally present in acloset. One portion of the garment bag is openable to permit access tothe interior thereof so as to provide for ready removal of garmentstherefrom or insertion of garments thereinto. A prime difiiculty whichhas been encountered in garment bags of this type, particularly when alarge number of garments are contained therein, is the relativeinaccessibility of the garments. Space and light restrictions in closetsalways make the proper selection of a garment a somewhat troublesomematter particularly when a large number of garments are in the closetand the hook portions of the hangers on which they are supported overlapone another. When garments are contained within a garment bag, thisproblem is materially intensified since even if the closet is lighted,the interior of the garment bag is not and it often occurs that when onewishes to remove a dress, for example, from a crowded garment bag, it isnecessary to first remove a number of the garments on either side of thedesired dress. This difliculty arisesqprimarily because, although theprojecting edge of the garment desired can readily be identified, theposition of the hook portion of the hanger with respect to the hookportions of the other hangers cannot readily be ascertained. Since thesehangers are supported. by a cross-bar on the top support of the garmentbag, and since that cross-bar must be placed substantially in line withand below the hooks by which the garment bag is mounted on the supportrod in order that the the inaccessible position which the cross-barnecessarily must assume.

A further problem arises when one wishes to select one of a number ofgarments but is not quite sure which of the garments would be mostdesirable. Thus, it often happens that a woman is uncertain as to whichof her dresses would be most appropriate for a given occasion. When thegarments are completely enclosed within a garment bag, even if thatgarment bag be opened they are not readily visible and hence properchoice is made very difficult. It is generally necessary in such a caseto completely remove all of the possible choices from the garment bag inorder that they may be adequately viewed and it is then necessary toreturn all but the chosen garment to the garment bag.

It is the prime object of the present invention to devise a garment bagconstruction which avoids the above disadvantages by rendering thecrossbar on which the garment hangers are sup-, ported more readilyaccessible than has heretofore been the case when garments are to beplaced into or removed from the garment bag.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a garment bagconstruction which will permit the garments in the garment bag to bemore readily exposed for viewing and choice without it being necessaryto remove them from the garment bag or from the support bar on whichthey are hung.

Yet anotherobject of the present invention is to devise a garment bagconstruction which achieves the above advantages but which at the sametime permits the cross-bar from which the garments are hung to take upits normal position in line with the garment bag hooks during the timethat the garment bag is not opened.

A further object of the present invention is to devise, in conjunctionwith such a garment bag, a mechanism for maintaining said garmentbag inupright position when the garments contained therein are renderedreadily accessible.

A still further object of the present invention is to devise a garmentbag construction in which the top support is formed of two parts, onepart constantly supportingthe top of the garment bag and retaining it indesired configuration, and anotherpart from which the garments areadapted to be hung being movable with respect to said one part between ahoused position completely within the garment bag and a projectedposition in which the garments hung therefrom are at leastpartiallyexposed outside the garment bag, thus facilitating inspection,removal and re- 3 placement of the garments. A subsidiary object is toprovide, in conjunction with such a garment bag, means for retaining thegarment bag in upright position when said other part is moved toextended position.

A more generalized object is to devise a top support for a garment bagwhich is of simple and inexpensive construction but which neverthelesspermits the attainment of the above objectives.

To the accomplishment of the, foregoingfiobjects and such other objectsas may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a garmentbag having an extendible top support portion as defined in the appendedclaims and as described in this specification, taken together with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a three-quarter perspective view showing the garment bag ofthe present invention in closed condition;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the garment bag in openposition, its top support being extended therefrom, parts of the armentbag being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a three-quarter perspective View similar to Figs. 1 and 2 butshowing the top support, the garment bag being indicated only inphantom;

Fig. 4 is a view of the top support similar to Fig. 3 but showing thatsupport in extended position;

Fig. 5 is an end cross-sectional view taken along B which is adapted tosupport the garment bag in its desired shape and a second framegenerally designated C slidably mounted within said garment bag so as tobe movable between a position entirely therewithin and a positionextending out therefrom. A grip generally designated D is attached tothe garment bag top support and is adapted to engage in non-slipping andparticularlyin non-rotative relationship with the support'bar E on whichthe garment bag is hung so as to prevent the garment bag from canting ortilting away from its normal upright position when the second frame C isin extended position.

As here disclosed, the flexible covering A may take the form, forexample, of fabric, rubberized fabric, or synthetic plastic sheetssecured together in any appropriate manner so as to define a closedcontainer having a top 2, sides 5.; ends 5 and a bottom 8. One of theends 6 is p vided with a slide fastener closure generally designated i9so that said end may be opened for access to the interior of the garmentbag, the slide fastener being here disclosed as extending along the topedge i2, the side edge i i, and he bottom edge 16 so that the entireside 6 is openable in flapped manner.

ing sides l8 and ends Zil and having hooks 22 Pro jecting upwardlytherefrom and through eyeleted apertures 24 in the top 2 of the garmentbag covering A so as to be receivable over the support rod E of a closetor the like, the top support thus being suspended from the support rod Eand the bag covering A being shaped by and suspended from the topsupport. If desired, a similarly shaped flat support, not shown, may beprovided to rigidify and shape the bottom 8 of the covering A.

The first frame B here takes its conventional form in which a cross-bar26 is secured between the two frame sides is midway of their length,

' this cross-bar being provided with corrugations adapted to receive thehooks of hangers on which garments may be hung. The garment bag hooks 22 are rotatably mounted within sleeves 28 which in turn encompassstraight portions 30 of the cross-bar 26 (see Fig. 5).

The second frame C is here shown as also skeletonic in nature, beingdefined by wire sides l8 and ends 20', the frame C being of the samesize and configuration as the frame B, although this is not absolutelyessential to the broader aspects of the invention. The frame C is alsoprovided with corrugated cross-bar 26 similar to the cross-bar 25. Theframe C is positioned below the frame B and in the form here disclosedis secured thereto so as to be slidable with respect thereto, thisattachment being achieved by means of securing elements in the form ofS-shaped links SZthe reversely'bent portions of which e compass thesides 18 and I8 and are slidable with respect to at least one set ofsaid sides and Proferably both sets. Two of the links '32 engage thesides l8 and I8 between the cross bars 25, 26' and one end 2%, 20 andthe other two of the links 32 engage sides It and 83" between thecross-bars 26, 25' and the other ends 29, 28'. As a result, the frame Cis slidable between a housed position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, inwhich it is completely within the garment bag covering A and, as heredisclosed, below and coincident with the frame B, and an extendedposition illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 in which it is partially projectedfrom the frame B with one of its ends 20' and a substantial portion ofits sides l8 projecting out from the garment bag covering A through theopened flapped end 5 thereof. The cross-bar 26' is preferably positionedon the frame C so that when the frameC is in its housed position, thecross-bar 26 is substantially in linewith and directly below the hooks212 and hence in a position such that the weight of the garments hungfrom the cross-bar 26 will act directly downwardly with respect to thehooks 22, exerting no turning moment thereon, So that the garment bagwill normally hang in its desired vertical or upright position, When theframe. C is moved to its projected position, its. cross-bar 26 will moveoutwardlywithin the interior of thegarment bag until, in the form heredisclosed, it is adjacent the end-20of the frame B and hence is quiteclose to the open endfi of the garment bag covering A. When in thisposition, garments hung from the cross-bar 25 will be almost half wayout of the garment bag covering A and hence can be carefully observed ina detailed manner and may conveniently be removed from the garment bagor replaced therein,'the positionof the cross-bar 26' practically at theouter edge [2 of the top 2 of thegarment. bag covering A making thispossible.

When the frame C is moved to its projected position, the weight of thegarments suspended therefrom will no longer act directly vertically withrespect to the hooks 22 but will be instead appreciably laterallydisposed with respect tosaid books. 22, and consequently a turningmoment will be exerted thereon which will tend to cant or tilt thegarment bag away from its normal upright position. In order to preventthis, an arm 34 is secured to one end 20 of the frame B, for simplicityssake merely being curled therearound, the arm 34 extending upwardlythrough the eyeletted aperture 36 in the top 2 of the garment bagcovering A and carrying the adjustable grid D which is adapted to engagethe support rod E in non-slipping and preferably non-rotativerelationship.

As here specifically disclosed, the grip D comprises'a pair of similardeformable arcuate members 38 the extremities of which are connected bybar 40, the arcuate members 38 constituting extensions of the arm 34,and another arcuate member t2 also integral with the bar 34 but beingreversely bent with respect to the arcuate members 38 and overlappingthe bar 40 which joins the ends of said arcuate members 38, the arcuatemembers together thus defining between themselves a transverse apertureadapted to encompass the support rod E. The end of the arcuate member 52is provided with an internally screw threaded sleeve 44 through whichscrew 56 is threaded, the tip 48 of the screw 46 engaging the bar 3E,preferably in a conical recess 49 formed therein. In practice thearcuate memhere 33 and 5 2, which are formed of some readily deformablematerial, are bent around the support rod E so as toencompass the same,after which the screw 26 is threaded through the sleeve M and againstthe bar 40 so as to cause the arcuate members 38 and 42 to overlap to anincreasing extent and to tighten around the support rod E, thetransverse aperture defined by the arcuate members 38 and 42 becomingsmaller and smaller until the arcuate members 38 and d2 grip the supportrod E with sufficient force so as not to slip thereover. Consequently,whenever the second frame C is moved to projected position, the tiltingor canting moment exerted by the weight of the garments supported on thecross-bar 26 will be effectively resisted by the slip-tight engagementbetween the grip D and the support rod E. Y

, In order to increase the garment containing capacity of the garmentbag, and in order to decrease the tilting or canting moment exerted whenthe second frame C is moved to projected position, those garments accessto which is not often desired may be supported directly on the cross-bar28 of the first frame B in conventional manner (see the garment 5!] ofFig. 2), the weight of these garments 59 always, being exerted invertical line with the hooks 22 and hence never exerting any tilting orcanting moment on the garment bag no matter what the position of 'thesecond frame C. Those garments access to which is often required will behung from the crossbar 25 on the movable frame C (see garment 52 of Fig.2), such garment 52 being completely enclosed within the garment bagwhen the frame C is moved to its housed position and being extendedsubstantially out from the garment bag when the frame C is moved to itsprojected position. I

The construction above described permits ready access to the contents ordesired portion of the contents of a garment bag whenever such access isdesired merely by opening the end 6 of the garment bag and pulling onthe exposed end 20 of the second frame C. In this way removal orinsertion of garments into the garment bag is facilitated and at thesame time the garments themselves may be examined in detail and at greatlength without having to remove the garments from the cross-bar 26 onwhich they are hung. The canting or tilting effect of the weight of suchgarments on the garment bag when the garments are in their extended andreadily accessible position is effectively resisted by the grip D. Theconstruction involved is simple and inexpensive but positive infunctioning and may be employed with conventional garment bags withoutextensive modification of the outer covering A thereof, and without anymodification of said covering provided the grip D is dispensed with.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention is hereillustrated, it will be apparent that many variations may be made in thesize, shape and detailed construction thereof without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

We'claim:

1. A top support for a garment bag, said support comprising a firstskeltonic rectangular wire frame adapted to support the top of a garmentbag in its desired configuration including sides, ends, and hookssecured to and projecting upwardly from said frame midway of its length,and a second skeletonic rectangular wire frame including sides, ends,and a central cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, the sides ofsaid second frame being slidably secured to the sides of said firstframe so that said second frame is movable between a housed positionwith respect to said first frame, said cross-bar being adjacent saidhooks, and an extended position in which an end and part of the sides ofsaid second frame extend beyond an end of said first frame and in whichsaid cross-bar is adjacent said end of said first frame.

2. A top support for a garment bag, said top support comprising a firstskeletonic rectangular wire frame adapted to support the top of agarment bag in its desired configuration including sides, ends, andhooks secured to and projecting upwardly from said frame midway of itslength, a second skeletonic rectangular wire frame of the same size assaid first frame including sides, ends, and a central cross-bar on whichcoat hangers may be hung, and securing elements encompassing the sidesof said frames so as to secure said frames to one another, said securingelements being slidable on the sides of at least one of said frames soas to permit said second frame to he slid endwise relative to said firstframe while said first frame continues to support the top of saidgarment bag between a housed position coincident with said first frame,said cross-bar being adjacent said hooks, and an extended position inwhich an end and partof the sides of said second frame extend beyond anend of said first frame and said cross-bar is adjacent said end of saidfirst frame.

3. A top support for a garment bag, said top support comprising a firstskeletonic rectangular wire frame adapted to support the top of agarment bag in its desired configuration including sides, ends, andhooks secured to and projecting upwardly from said frame midway of itslength, a second skeletonic rectangular wire frame of the same size assaid first frame including sides, ends,

5' and a central cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, andS-shaped links the upper and lower reversely bent portions of whichencompass the sides of said first and second frames respectively so asto secure said frames to one another, said reversely bent portions beingslidable on at least one of said frames so as to permit said secondframe to be slid endwise relative to said first frame while said firstframe continues to support the top of said garment bag between a housedposition under said first frame, said crossbar beingbelow said hooks,and an extended position in which an end and part ofthe sides of saidsecond frame extend beyond an end of said first frame and said cross-baris adjacent said end of said first frame.

l. A garment bag comprising a flexible covering having a top, sides andends, one of the ends thereof being openable to provide access to theinterior thereof, and a top support for said garment bag, said supportcomprising a first frame with hooks projecting upwardly therefrom andextending through the top of said covering so as to be received over asupport rod from which the garment bag is hung, said first frame at alltimes supporting the top of said covering in its desired shape, an armprojecting upwardly from said first frame and extending through thecovering of said garment bag, a grip on said arm adapted to be engagedwith said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, and asecond frame in said garment bag and movable with respect to said firstframe between a housed position in which said second frame is completelyenclosed within said garment bag and an extended posi tion in which saidsecond frame extends out from said garment bag through the openable endthereof, said second frame including a cross-bar on which coat hangersmay be hung, said cross bar being positioned on said second frame at apoint substantially midway of the length thereof so as to be. adjacentsaid hooks when said second frame is in housed position and adjacent theopenable end of said garment bag when said second frame is in'extendedposition.

5. A garment bag comprising a flexible covering having a top, sides andends, one of the ends thereof being openable to provide access to theinterior thereof, and a top support forsaid garment bag, said supportcomprising a first frame 4 with hooks projecting upwardly therefrom andextending through the top of said covering so as to be received over asupport rod from which the garment ha is hung, said first frame at alltimes supporting the top of said covering in its desired tends out fromsaid garment bag through the openableend thereof, said second frameincluding a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, said cross-barbeing positioned on said second frame .at a point substantially midwayof the length thereof so as to be adjacent said hooks when said secondframe is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of saidgarment bag when-said second'frame is in extended position.

6. A garment bag comprising a flexible coverment bag, said supportcomprising a first frame with hooks projecting upwardly therefrom andextending through the top of said covering so as to be received over asupport rod from which the garment bag is hung, said first frame at alltimes supporting the top of said covering in its desired shape, an armprojecting upwardly from said first frame and extending through thecovering of said garment bag, a transversely apertured gripping memberon said arm adapted to encompass said support rod, means on saidgripping member for engaging said support rod in non-slippingrelationship therewith, and a second frame in said garment bag andmovable with respect to said first frame between a housed position inwhich said second frame is completely enclosed within said garment bagand an eX- tended position in which said second frame extends out fromsaid garment bag through the openable end thereof, said second frameincluding a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, said cross-barbeing positioned on said second frame at a point substantially midway ofthe length thereof so as to be adjacent said hooks when said secondframe is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of saidgarment bag when said second frame is in extended position.

7, A garment bag comprising a flexible covering having a top, sides andends, one of the ends thereof being openable to provide access to theinterior thereof, and a top support for said garment bag, said supportcomprising a first frame with hooks rejecting upwardly therefrom andextending through the top of said covering so as to be received over asupport rod from which the garment bag is hung, said first frame at alltimes supporting the top of said covering in its desired shape, an armprojecting upwardly from said first frame and extending through thecovering of said garment bag, first and second arcuate members on saidarm, said members together defining between themselves a transverseaperture, an adjustable connection between said members for causing saidmembers to overlap to varying degrees and thus vary the size of saidaperture, said members being adapted to encompass said support rod innon-slipping relationship therewith, and a second frame in said garmentbag and movable with respect to said first frame between a housedposition in which said second frame is completely enclosed within saidgarment bag and an extended position in which said second frame extendsout from said garment bag through the openable end thereof, said secondframe including a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, saidcross-bar being positioned on said second frame at a point substantiallymidway of the length thereof so as to be adjacent said hooks when saidsecond frame is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of saidgarment bag when said second frame is in extended position.

8. A top support for a garment bag, said top support comprising a firstframe adapted to support the top of a garment bag in its desiredconfiguration and having hooks projecting upwardly therefrom at a pointsubstantially midway of its length, said hooks being adapted to extendthrough the fabric of a garment bag and be received over a support rod,an arm project ing upwardly from said first frame and adapted to extendthrough the covering of a garment bag, a grip on said arm adapted to beengaged with said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith,and a second frame of substantially the same size as said first frameand having a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung at a pointsubstantially midway of its length, said second frame being slidablysecured to said first frame so as to be movable in the direction of thelength of said first frame between a housed position with respect tosaid first frame, said cross-bar then being adjacent said hooks, and anextended position in which said cross-bar is close to the end of saidfirst frame, the cooperation of said grip with said support rodpreventing canting of said top support when said second frame is inextended position.

9. The top support of claim 8, in which said grip has asupport-rod-engaging portion of variable size adapted to be engaged withsaid support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, said gripthereby being rendered adjustable.

10. The top support of claim 8, in which said grip comprises atransversely apertured member on said arm adapted to encompass saidsupport rod and means on said member for engaging said support rod innon-slipping relationship therewith.

11. The top support of claim 8, in which said grip comprises first andsecond arcuate' members on said arm, said members together definingbetween themselves an aperture transverse to said arm, and an adjustableconnection betweensaid members for causing said members to overlap tovarying degrees and thus vary the size of said aperture.

JACOB J. MINIZ. FREDERICK L. MULLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,002,860 Morley Sept. 12, 1911 1,014,392 Hawley Jan. 9, 19121,679,091 Luery July 31, 1928 1,832,715 London Nov. 17, 1931 1,896,307Hatch Feb. 7, 1933 1,981,510 Jones Nov. 20, 1934 2,210,490 LeonardsonAug. 6, 1940 2,523,682 Corwin Sept. 26, 1950

